115th Congressional Dumpster Fire
The purpose of this page will be to compile Fark threads dealing with the dumpster fire that is the 115th U.S. Congress. This page is for the month of ' ''' For previous months, please see the archive =Background= ''This section will provide background information about the members of the 115th U.S. Congress, or their party affiliation, etc. any information to give a basic overview of the 115th U.S. Congress that does not necessarily need a Fark-related thread. * date first called into session: January 3, 2017 * date Americans can first expect relief: January 3, 2019 ** elections November 6, 2018 * to read about all the Fark threads on the legislative crap they're up to click here, for outstanding individual achievements in assholery, click here, for "oversight hearings" click here and for confirmation hearings click here Congresscritters and how to contact them * all members on Gov Track * House members * Senators Current Pending Bills * all bills on Gov Track Committees Senate * Senate Committees House * House Committees Committee Hearings and Meetings Senate * Senate Committee Hearings and Meetings House * House of Representatives Schedule * House Floor Summary Congressional Record * Congressional Record =Congress in General= Separation of Powers # =Congressional Legislation= to view legislation introduced or debated by and for state legislations, please click here General # Repeal of Medicare Overturning Obama-era Regulations FCC privacy regulations Repeal ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act Ratify NATO confirmation for Montenegro Sell ISP information to advertisers Senate Joint Resolution 34 Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017 (HR 372) repeal McCarran-Ferguson special exemption from federal antitrust laws Drug-testing unemployment applicants Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Act repeal Alaska National Wildlife Refuges Rule allows shooting bears and wolves from aircraft and killing cubs and pups in their dens, even during hibernation Net Neutrality # Repeal of ACA # Background # Backlash # Repeal # Replacement # "Repair" ## Rescinding coal miners health benefits House v. Price formerly known as House v. Burwell * US District Judge Collyer sided with the lawmakers ** "Congress authorized reduced cost-sharing but did not appropriate monies for it" ** funds in question are separate from the tax credits for premiums * did not take any immediate action to stop the spending * the question of the House’s "standing" will remain an issue # DonTCare # # # # # # # # # # # # # Senate version # # # # Spending Bill # # ## ## ### ### # Monitor Russian Sanctions GOP Infrastructure Plan MAR-A-LAGO Act Make Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act Compel President to release his taxes Budget # # # # # # # # Continuing Resolution Deficit Tax Cuts The HONEST Act Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act * would prohibit the EPA from writing any regulation that uses science that is not publicly available President's Tax "Reform" Proposal # # ## College For All Act 2017 JASTA Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows relatives of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for their deaths # Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017 * [http://bit.ly/2qAJTuf HR 953] # =Congressional Votes on Legislation= for confirmation votes on nominees, please see the confirmation section below General DonTCare # ## ### # # ## # # ## ## ## # # ## # Fillibuster is this still a thing anymore? =Congressional Oversight= Congressional Oversight in General # # Congressional Investigators # Congressional Requests for Information Speier-Mattis-MacStravic letters communications between Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th), Defense Secretary James Mattis and acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, James MacStravic * in February, Speier wrote Mattis about the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal DoD leasing space in Trump Tower with Mattis * on March 3, MacStravic wrote Speier that ** the White House Military Office "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence" ** the residence in question was privately owned and negotiations "have been with the owner?s representatives only." ** MacStravic was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics" *** as such he would have to approve "an annual rental in excess of $1 million" # ## Chaffetz, DeSantis letters to Session and Tillerson * all documents relating to the January 16, 2016, prisoner exchange agreement with Iran ** including the negotiations that preceded it * all information about the 21 Iranian-born men for whom the US dropped convictions or charges and international arrest warrants * information about whether State and Justice department officials delayed or blocked efforts to lure Iranian suspects to US-friendly countries so they could be arrested * information about all individuals and entities whose cases or convictions were dropped ** also any information "for whom any enforcement action was modified or cancelled in connection with the swap, and indicate the action taken and how it was modified or cancelled" * "any Iranian national or entity investigated for, charged with, or convicted of engaging in violations of export controls, terrorism, arms sales, nonproliferation, money laundering, or other financial crimes, from January 1, 2013, to the present" * to "make your staff available for a briefing on these issues no later than May 25" # 13 Senators letters to Session, Tillerson and Mnuchin * Letter signed by: ** Senator David Perdue of Georgia ** Senator Thom Tillis (R NC) ** Senator James Inhofe (R OK) ** Senator John Boozman (R AK) ** Senator Ben Sasse (R NE) ** Senator Roger Wicker (R MS) ** Senator Johnny Isakson (R GA) ** Senator Marco Rubio (R FL) ** Senator Ted Cruz (R TX) ** Senator Mike Lee (R UT) ** Senator Mike Rounds (R SD) ** Senator Tim Scott (R SC) ** Senator Luther Strange (R AL) * "respectfully request a report or an in-person briefing to Congress on this investigation at your earliest convenience" * letter included a list of questions they wanted answered # Murray, Cantwell and 9 other Senators letter to DoJ IG Horowitz to Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, US Department of Justice * also signed: ** Senator Martin Heinrich (D NM) ** Senator Elizabeth Warren (D MA) ** Senator Richard Blumenthal (D CT) ** Senator Ron Wyden (D OR) ** Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D NY) ** Senator Jack Reed (D RI) ** Senator Tammy Duckworth (D IL) ** Senator Edward Markey (D MA) ** Senator Tom Udall (D NM) # House Science Committee letter to the President * members of the Science Committee asking the President to ignore false science * date May 18, 2017 * signed: ** Rep. Don Beyer (D VA 8th) ** Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D OR 1st) ** Rep. Mark Takano (D CA 41st) ** Rep. Bill Foster (D IL 11th) ** Rep. Jerry McNerney (D CA 9th) ** Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D CA 19th) ** Rep. Jacky Rosen (D NV 3rd) # Reports from CBO Congressional Budget Office # # # # # # # # No Report from CBO # CRS Congressional Research Service; known as Congress's think tank, is a public policy research arm of the US Congress # Gang of Eight a group of eight Congress people who are notified in classified briefings of any change or developments in Trump-Russia investigation # ## Upcoming Comey Testimony # # No Oversight House Committees House Agriculture Committee House Armed Services Committee House Budget Committee # House Committee on Energy and Commerce House Foreign Affairs Committee # House Intelligence Committee # Hearings for Russia Investigation Task Force "Open and Closed Hearings for Russia Investigation Task Force" * full committee * May 23, 2017 * Witness ** John Brennan, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency # ## ## House Judiciary Committee # House Oversight and Government Reform Committee # # # # # # House Ways and Means Committee Tax Reform Spectacular & Job Extravaganza! the Greatest Show in Congress! * Hearing on How Tax Reform Will Grow Our Economy and Create Jobs * May 18, 2017 * Witnesses ** John J. Stephens, Senior Executive VP and CFO, AT&T Inc. ** Zachary Mottl, Chief Alignment Officer, Atlas Tool Works, Inc. ** David N. Farr, chair and CEO, Emerson Electric Co. ** Douglas L. Peterson, President and CEO, S&P Global Inc. ** Steven Rattner, chair, Willett Advisors LLC # Joint House-Senate Committees Joint Committee on Taxation Staff # Senate Committees Full Senate ## Senate Armed Services Committee Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Senate Banking Policy Update, May 18, 2017 * "Domestic and International Policy Update" * May 18, 2017 * Witness ** Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury # # Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Senate Intelligence Committee # # # # # # # # # # ## # # # ## Request for Information from Carter Page * Senate Intelligence Committee is asking Page for ** records of all his contacts with Russians during the campaign ** all financial interactions he had with Russia ** all communications he had with Trump campaign staff # Senate Intel, Worldwide Threats Hearing, May 11, 2017 * "Open Hearing: Worldwide Threats Hearing" * May 11, 2017 * Witnesses ** Dan Coats Director of National Intelligence ** Michael Pompeo Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ** Admiral Michael Rogers Director of the National Security Agency ** Andrew McCabe Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ** Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency ** Robert Cardillo Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency # # Senate Judiciary Committee # # Senate Judiciary, Religious Hate Crimes Hearing * Full committee * "Responses to the Increase in Religious Hate Crimes" * Witnesses ** Eric Treene ::Special Counsel For Religious Discrimination, Civil Rights Division # Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Russian Interference, 2016 Election Hearing * Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism * "Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election" * Witnesses ** Sally Yates ::former Acting Attorney General ** James Clapper ::former Director of National Intelligence # # ## ## ## ## Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation * Full committee * "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" * Witnesses ** James Comey ::director, Federal Bureau of Investigation # Senate Judiciary, Border Wall Boogaloo! the Most Realistic Slap in the Face for Congress! * "Building America's Trust Through Border Security: Progress on the Southern Border" * May 23, 2017 * Witness **Ronald Vitiello Acting Deputy Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection # Trump-Russia Independent Commission to investigate allegations of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians # # # # =Confirmation Hearings= Confirmation Hearings in General # Nominees Nominee for Director of the FBI # Green for Army Secretary state Senator Dr. Mark Green (R, TN, 22nd); retired Army flight surgeon; West Point grad; insane religious zealot # Clovis for USDA Undersecretary REE Undersecretary of Research, Education and Economics * Sam Clovis: national co-chair, policy director, Trump campaign; economics professor, Morningside College'' # Gingrich for US Ambassador to the Vatican Callista Gingrich, bird-wife of former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich # Branstad for US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, former Iowa Governor # china}} Judicial Nominees =Special Addresses to Congress= =Congressional Staff= =Special Elections= Georgia * 6th Congressional District to fill seat of Tom Price who is now Secretary of Health and Human Services # # # Democrat Joel Ossoff Republican Karen Handel Montana * At-large Congressional District to fill seat of Ryan Zinke, who is now Secretary of the Interior # # ## ## Greg Gianforte ® # # ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## Rob Quist (D) Mark Wicks (L) =Members of Congress= Congressional Members in General # # Meetings # Caucuses Congressional Black Caucus # House Freedom Caucus # # Rep. Mark Meadows (R NC 11th) chair, Freedom Caucus Republican Caucus Tuesday Group informal caucus of about 50 moderate Republican representatives # # # # # GOP health care working groups * dismantling Medicaid * dismantling Obamacare regulations # Republican Study Committee caucus of conservative House members of the Republican Party # House Democratic Caucus # Senate Democratic Caucus # Obedient GOP Rep. Paul Ryan (R WI 4th) Speaker of the House # # # # # ## # # # AshLee Strong spokeswoman for Speaker of the House, Rep. Ryan # Doug Andres spokesman for Speaker of the House, Rep. Ryan # Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY) Senate Majority Leader # # # # # # Senate Leadership Fund Super PAC "spin-off of the GOP mega-group American Crossroads"; executive director Steven Law # # Steven Law executive director, Senate Leadership Fund; former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R KY) # Senator John Cornyn (R TX) Majority Whip # # ## Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R CA 23) House Majority Leader # # Senator Richard Burr (R NC) chair, Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Chuck Grassley (R IA) chair, Senate Judiciary Committee Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R UT 3rd) chair, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform # # # Rep. Devin Nunes (R CA 22nd) chair, House Intelligence Committee ... for now # Rep. Michael McCaul (R TX 10th) chair, House Homeland Security Committee Rep. Lamar Smith (R, TX 21st) chair, House Science, Space and Technology Committee Rep. Pete Sessions (R TX 32nd) chair, House Rules Committee Senator Lamar Alexander (R TN) chair, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Senator Mike Crapo (R ID) chair, Senate Banking Committee Senator RANDPAUL (R KY) # Senator Marco Rubio (R FL) Rep. Darrell Issa (R CA 49) chair, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, House Judiciary ## Rep. Trey Gowdy (R SC 4th) # # Senator Orrin Hatch (R UT) # Rep. Joe Wilson (R SC 2nd) Senator Ted Cruz (R TX) # # Senator Luther Strange (R AL) former Attorney General for Alabama during DMV closure scandal # Rep. Joe "The Oil Gargler" Barton (R TX 6th) Rep. Duncan Hunter (R CA 50) # Rep. Steve King (R IA 4th) Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R WI 5th) Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R CA 48th) Senator John McCain (R AZ) # Senator Jeff Flake (R AZ) Senator Tom Cotton (R AR) Senator Joni Earnst (R IA) Senator James Inhofe (R OK) # Senator Mike Lee (R UT) # Rep. Raul Labrador (R ID 1st) # ## Rep. Mo Brooks (R AL 5th) # Senator Richard Shelby (R AL) # Rep. Doug Collins (R GA 9th) # Senator Bob Corker (R TN) # Rep. Ron DeSantis, (R FL 6th) chair, Subcommittee on National Security, House Oversight # Rep. Greg Walden (R OR 2nd) chair, House Energy and Commerce Committee # Rep. Kevin Brady (R TX 8th) chair, House Ways and Means Committee # Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R TX 5th) chair, House Financial Services; author of the so-called Financial CHOICE Act # Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R WA 5th) # Rep. Rod Blum (R IA 1st) # Rep. John Faso (R NY 19th) # Rep. Jason Smith (R MO 8th) # Rep. Mike Gallagher (R WI 8th) # Rep. Thomas MacArthur (R NJ 3rd) # Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R GA 11th) # Rep. Scott Perry (R PA 4th) # Rep. Kevin Cramer (R ND 1st) # # Senator Joe Manchin (D WV) # Rep. Blake Farenthold (R T 27th) # Senator Edward J. Markey (D MA) # Rep. Mike Bost (R IL 12th) # former Congressman Joe Walsh (R IL 8th) former Republican Representative of Illinois' 8th district, radio personality # Everyone Else Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D CA 12th) House minority leader # # # Senator Chuck Schumer (D NY) Senate minority leader # ## ## # # # # Rep. Joseph Crowley (D NY 14th) chair, House Democratic Caucus Senator Al Franken (D MN) # # # Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D TX 18th) # Senator Bill Cassidy (R LA) # # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO Senator Bob Menendez (D NJ) # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO Senator John Cornyn (R TX) # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO Senator Ted Cruz (R TX) # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO Senator Marco Rubio (R FL) # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO # Senator Dick Durbin (D IL) Minority Whip # wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO # Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th) member, House Armed Services and House Intelligence committees; discussed "the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal DoD leasing space in Trump Tower" with SecDef Mattis and James MacStravic # ## Speier-Mattis-MacStravic letters communications between Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th), Defense Secretary James Mattis and acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, James MacStravic * in February, Speier wrote Mattis about the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal DoD leasing space in Trump Tower with Mattis * on March 3, MacStravic wrote Speier that ** the White House Military Office "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence" ** the residence in question was privately owned and negotiations "have been with the owner?s representatives only." ** MacStravic was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics" *** as such he would have to approve "an annual rental in excess of $1 million" # ## Senator Kamala Harris (D CA) # # Rep. Patrick Maloney (D NY 18th) # Senator John McCain (R AZ) # # Senator Elizabeth Warren (D MA) # # # Rep. Adam Schiff (D CA 28th) # # Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D IL 8th) # Rep. Justin Amash (R MI 3rd) # Senator Bernie Sanders (I VT) # # Senator Ben Sasse (R NE) # Senator Lindsey Graham (R SC) chair, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Senate Judiciary Cmte # # Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R UT 3rd) chair, House Oversight Committee # # # # Senator Patty Murray (D WA) # Senator Maria Cantwell (D WA) # Rep. Don Beyer (D VA 8th) # Rep. Will Hurd (R TX 23rd) member, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee # Rep. Elijah Cummings (D MD 7th) # Senator Richard Burr (R NC) chair, Senate Intelligence Committee # # Senator Mark Warner (D VA) ranking member, Senate Intelligence Committee # # Rep. Ted Lieu (D CA 33th) # Rep. Mike Conaway (R TX 11th) chair of the House Agriculture Committee # Senator Chuck Grassley (R IA) chair, Senate Judiciary Committee # Rep. Tom Cole (R OK 4th) # Rep. Dennis Ross (R FL 15th) # Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R TN 4th) # Rep. Katherine M. Clark (D MA 5th) # On The Fence these Congresscritters aren't sure yet how their decisions will play politically, so they're not committing to anything publicly Senator Richard Burr (R NC) chair, Senate Intelligence Committee # Senator RANDPAUL (R KY) # Senator Lindsey Graham (R SC) chair, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Senate Judiciary Cmte # Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R CA 23rd) House Majority Leader # ## Rep. Adam Schiff (D CA 28th) # Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY) Senate Majority Leader # Rep. Mark Meadows (R NC 11th) chair, Freedom Caucus # Rep. Mark Walker (R NC 6th) chair, Republican Study Committee # WTF? who knows what's going on here or why Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D CA 12th) House minority leader # Senator Diane Feinstein (D CA) # Senator Bernie Sanders (I VT) # # Rep. Julia Brownley (D CA 26th) # Senator Lindsey Graham (R SC) chair, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Senate Judiciary Cmte # Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R CA 48th) # ## Senator Thom Tillis (R NC) # Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R UT 3rd) chair, House Oversight Committee # # Senator Lindsey Graham (R SC) chair, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Senate Judiciary Cmte # # Senator Patrick Leahy (D VT) # Senator John McCain (R AZ) # Victims of Threats and Vandalism Several GOP Representatives have been the victims of threats and vandalism * Rep. Martha McSally (R AZ 2nd) * Rep. David Kustoff (R TN 8th) * Rep. Thomas Garrett (R VA 5th) * Rep. Dave Brat (R VA 7th) * Rep. Tom MacArthur (R NJ 3rd) * Rep. Kevin Cramer (R ND 1st) * Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R NE 1st) * Rep. Ted Yoho (R FL 3rd) # Senator Ted Cruz (R TX) # Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY) Senate Majority Leader # Senator Amy Klobuchar (D MN) # Senator John Cornyn (R TX) Senate Republican Whip # # Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D CA 12nd) House minority leader # Senator Chuck Schumer (D NY) Senate minority leader # Senator John Thune (R SD) chair, Senate GOP Conference # Rep. Paul Ryan (R WI 1st) Speaker of the House # Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D FL 23rd) former DNC chair; member House Appropriations Committee # =Links= See Also * Drumpfster Fire Navigation Page * Archive for this page * Categorized list of Nicknames * Trump-Russia Connections * Trump Laundry * Drumpfster Fire * Drumpfster Fire Advisors * Drumpfster Fire Agencies * Drumpfster Fire Daily Chaos * Drumpfster Fire Misinformation * Donald's Imaginary Friends and His Faithful Followers * Enemies List * Ministry of Misinformation * I Love The Poorly Educated * The World Outside the U.S. Post-Drumpf * 115th Congressional Dumpster Fire * ALECworks * Defying GOP's Wet Dream of One Party Rule of U.S. Government External Links * Press Snekretary's Facebook page * Official Press Snekretary on Twitter * Snekretary Tumblr * Snek Ssswag * Executive Order Generator * Trump Insult Generator * What The Fuck Just Happened Today? * How Long Has Donald Trump Been President? * Nose Flags * Trump-Russia timeline, Mother Jones